From the joy of our culture, the diversity of our traditions, our unbreakable faith, and the mess the follows, Akabal Theater presents Under My Skin, a comedy of complicated social engagements. The series of monologues, enhanced with dance, movement and poetry explores the other side of common beliefs, and what lives under the skin of transphobia, homophobia, and intolerance.
Under My Skin will take place at the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Renberg Theatre on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, 7-8:30 p.m.
This program is suitable for all ages.
Participants
Emanuel Loarca is an award winning director, actor, writer, producer and filmmaker. His short film My Little Girl has received over 35 awards in the festival circuit. Founder and artistic director of Teatro Akabal Theatre. Has directed over 25 plays and performed in over 90 plays for the Latino and American Theatre. He last toured with his autobiographical one man show La Familia de Emanuel, with performances in NY, NJ, RI, PA, LA, Guatemala, Dominican Republic and Mexico. His award winning play Sitting on a Fallen Tree made its New York premier this spring and will be back in LA this winter for its 15 anniversary revival. Most recent TV & Film credits include: Hacks, Barry, Young Sheldon, Falcon, The Rookie, Goliath, El Placer de dar Placer, Above the Desert with no Name, Fullmoon, War Within the Cartel, Matador, Alma, and Collect Call, among others.
Ludo Vika is widely known as the “Caribbean Queen of Comedy.” She’s been making audiences laugh for over two decades! What started off as a way to promote safe sex to the public, has taken her from dancer lifts to stand-up laughs! Her unique talent was noticed by Mitzi Shore at the world famous Comedy Store, where she was immediately given her own show in the main room and signed by FOX TV to star in her own sitcom I LOVE LUDO. This notoriety prompted countless television appearances and stand-up comedy shows such as HBO’s “Loco Slam,” Showtime’s “Funny is Funny” & Galavision’s “Que Locos.” Her flamboyant comedy act has headlined at all the top Comedy clubs from Thailand to Vegas!
Isabella Cascarano has alternated her career in film, theater, television, dubbing, voice over, and content creator. She played a drug addict in a short film Our Vows where she was recognized and won the award for “Best Actress” in Marbella Spain, at the International Euro Film Festival. Isabella is an entrepreneur, writer, producer and She loves to write and create her own content. Isabella is involved in philanthropy, She has her charity organization called “Witness of Hope” that helps create art and happiness for those in need. For many years she devoted part of her volunteer time to work with terminally ill children Starlight Children Foundation, the organization of the Blind, has been an Ambassador for Special Olympics in Venezuela. Isabella has been helping the needy community in Central and Latin America for over 5 years and worked with passion to help the Alzheimer organization.
Delante McCreary was born just outside Washington D.C., and trained at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy and Broadway Dance Center in New York City. He toured The United States and Europe as a dancer with the pop/dance singing group LeClick and opened shows for such popular groups as The Backstreet Boys. He was featured, alongside his boy band Zeyn, in Teen People Magazine for best original song in a top five-band contest. His theatre credits include the off-off Broadway productions of Godspell and Once on this Island and the national tour of RENT.
Fernanda Milán started her training at National School of Dramatic Arts ENAD in Guatemala City, Though started in writing since very young age. Fernanda has also worked as an actress, singer, model and is known for her activism in human rights. Residing in exile right now Fernanda is experimenting with narrative without forgetting her Playwriting roots. As a transgender woman herself, Fernanda finds it to be very important to touch themes like repression, discrimination and Social exclusion towards special groups in societies.
Victoria Garcia Independent writer, communicator and educator born in Uruguay. Her worked has being published in different magazines, newspapers and websites in Chile, Mexico, USA, Spain and Uruguay. In Los Angeles she has worked as a reporter, writer and internet correspondent for different alternative media blogs and online radio stations. Was a columnist/reporter for She Magazine, Padrisimo Magazine, El Oaxaqueno, HispanicLA, El Pais Cultural, The Republic of Uruguay, XQYesMagazine and is the creator of the diversity segment “20 minutes with…” for BuloFM a the Uruguay University Radio Station. Co-founder of the Pradera TK group, Catarsis (Literature workshop for diversity) and of Autoras.com a forum for latina women writers from Latin America and Europe. “Proof of Love” was published in 2004 by Impacto Magazine and republished by several magazines in Mexico, South America and the USA.
Gabriella Richardson is a Salvadoran American actress and writer with a passion for storytelling. She has made her mark as a screenwriter, including work on a feature film, and her recent play was showcased in the Short and Sweet Hollywood 2024 finals. Gabriella is dedicated to expanding her repertoire and continues to make significant contributions to the Latinx theatre and acting community.
Manuel Chitay Manuel Chitay studied at the Carlos Figueroa Juárez National School of Dramatic Art (ENAD) in the National Theater of Guatemala, where he trained in the disciplines of: Acting, corporal expression, contemporary dance, singing, voice and diction, lighting, set designing, among others. Honored to collaborate with groups such as: The Bilingual Arts Foundation in Los Angeles, Tierra Blanca Arts Center, FRIDA KAHLO Theater and SINERGIA Theater Group. Los Angeles Theatre Academy LATA. KA]I’; TOJ* Contemporary Theater, SOLO TEATRO. Guatemala. He has been a teacher of Acting, Movement, Manual Arts, for young people, adults and people of the elderly, in Guatemala and Los Angeles CA. Theater Instructor for the Pilot Plan for Raising Awareness Through Theater, in Themes of Gender and Multiculturalism of the Program of Fight Against Exclusions of The European Union in Guatemala. He is currently Associate Artistic Director of Teatro Akabal Theatre, Los Angeles.
Dennis Mencia is a Honduran-American actor from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He is Known for playing the role of Mateo Villanueva on the CW ‘Jane the Virgin’ and Samuel Soto on the ‘Infiltrators’ a Sundance Film Festival selection, a drama about migrant detention centers. And also Hiram on the Netflix hit series ‘Griselda’. He’s also known for his work on major Spanish networks like Telemundo.
This performance is organized by Emanual Loarca and is co-presented with the Los Angeles LGBT Center as part of Circa: Queer Histories Festival 2024, presented by One Institute.